Overview

Many of the big tech companies are requiring better authentication for email senders. Proper authentication helps prevent spam and improves the delivery of your emails. Both Shopify and Bloom Commerce require certain DNS records to be added to your domain. If they aren't added correctly, these systems might not be delivered as expected.

IMPORTANT: If you don't know how to access your domain's DNS management tools, or aren't confident in your ability to update the records, please contact your IT staff.

The first step in the process will be to log into your Shopify admin and your domain's DNS management tools. Once you have logged into your management tools, navigate to the Manage DNS section for your website's domain and find where you add a new DNS record. Use your domain provider's help content if needed. 

There are two different DNS record types that need to be added. CNAME and TXT types. 

 

CNAME records

If you haven't already, Shopify requires that you authenticate your email sending doman by adding a few CNAME records to your DNS.

  1. Log into your Shopify admin
  2. Click Settings in the bottom of your admin navigation bar to load the Shopify Settings interface (this is different from the Bloom Commerce settings). 
  3. Click Notifications on the left navigation, then find the Sender email section. It should be the first section on the Notifications settings view. 
  4. If you see your domain has been authenticated, and you know how to add CNAME records, you can skip to #8 below. If you see the "authenticate your domain" link, then click the link.
  5. You'll see a list of CNAME records you need to add to your DNS. Use the Copy links to easily copy them so you can paste them into your DNS tools when creating the new records. See the example screen shot below for a reference. 
  6. If you haven't already logged into your DNS management tools, do that and find where you add new DNS records.
  7. Select the CNAME type and add your new records based on the instructions in Shopify. See the example screen shot below for a reference. You can use the default TTL value provided by your DNS management tools.
  8. Important! You still need to add two more for Bloom Commerce emails, even after you get your Shopify CNAME records added. Continue to add these CNAME records:
    a. Name or host: mte1._domainkey with the value dkim1.mandrillapp.com
    b. Name or host: mte2._domainkey and the value dkim2.mandrillapp.com
  9. Save the new DNS records and confirm all the new records are in your CNAME list.

NOTE: Many DNS management tools already pre-populate your domain into the interface, as part of the Name or host. Check your interface closely to see if you need to add it manually, or not. You probably don't need to add it manually. If you do, our sending email is "hello@bloom.wine" so we would use "bloom.wine" as our domain, and the Name or host might look like "mte1._domainkey.bloom.wine" if that format is required. 

 

Shopify CNAME record example

 

Add a CNAME using the GoDaddy interface

 

TXT records

All systems are now requiring that you have a DMARC record, used to validate your sending domain and improve your email delivery.

  1. If you haven't already logged into your DNS management tools, do that and find where you add new DNS records.
  2. Check to see if you already have a TXT record for DMARC. If you do, you can skip this step.
  3. To add a DMARC record select they TXT record type and add this new record:
    a. Name or host: _dmarc with the value of v=DMARC1; p=none; (Don't for get the underscore in front of the name or host). 
  4. Save the new DNS records and confirm all the new records are in your TXT list.

NOTE: Many DNS management tools already pre-populate your domain into the interface, as part of the Name or host. Check your interface closely to see if you need to add it manually, or not. You probably don't need to add it manually. If you do, our sending email is "hello@bloom.wine" so we would use "bloom.wine" as our domain, and the Name or host might look like "_dmarc.bloom.wine" if that format is required. 

 

Add a TXT for DMARC using the GoDaddy interface

 

Help links

Setting up your email Shopify help:
https://help.shopify.com/en/manual/intro-to-shopify/initial-setup/setup-your-email

DNS Terminology:
https://help.shopify.com/en/manual/domains/domains-terminology

Google domains and adding DMARC:
https://support.google.com/a/answer/2466563?hl=en